Question: Why didn't Scar just kill Simba himself right after Mufasa died?
Answer: That would have been a little too suspicious, if both Simba and Mufasa died in the same stampede and Scar, who's made no secret of his desire to rule, declared himself king. It helped him solidify his claim to have Simba go into exile, seemingly renouncing his own right to Mufasa's throne, clearing the way for Scar, as Mufasa's brother, to take it for himself. Making Simba the scapegoat for Mufasa's death didn't hurt, either.
Answer: It would look too suspicious.
Answer: Scar didn't tell them Simba killed his father and went into exile. He blamed the stampede for both deaths. Hence, when Simba returns Scar brings up Simba's role in Mufasa's death.
Question: I recently picked this film up on Blu-Ray, and I noticed a few small changes in the animation compared to the old VHS tape I had from the 90's. (Most noticeable being that a few bits in "I Just Can't Wait to be King" seemed entirely re-animated) When were these changes made? And has Disney made other similar changes in the Blu-Ray releases for their other films?
Answer: Where as he doesn't give exacts on when, but Nostalgia Critic actually pointed out some of these things in his recent review of the film. Https://youtu.be/KnyHqxxsD8g He talks about it around the 5 minute mark. But he really only mentions that there are differences between the VHS and Blu-Ray editions of the film. My best guess is these changes were made for remastering it to look better on Blu-Ray.
Question: Something I've wondered for a long time, and it might have been hinted at or addressed in one of these movies at some point but I've not actually seen them in a few years. After Simba runs away as a cub, and then is found a long time later as an adult by Nala, how much time had passed? How long was he living on his own with Timon and Pumbaa?
Answer: Applying real-world logic... when he leaves, he's likely a bit less than six months old based on his size and development. And when he returns, his development seems to line-up with about a 3-4 year-old lion. So he was probably gone somewhere in the range of 3 years. Maybe 4 if you really stretched it.
Question: Before Scar 'betrays' the hyenas by saying that they were the real enemy, (Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are shown to have overheard), what were they doing up there in the first place before they overheard Scar?
Answer: They were probably going to help Scar defeat Simba by jumping on him since he couldn't see them but after overhearing what Scar said decided to kill him. It's really speculation but, that's just one of many different possibilities.
Question: What kind of fruit was it with the juice inside which Rafiki cracks open at the beginning, and near the middle of the movie when he discovers that Simba is alive?
Answer: It's suppose to be the fruit of the Baobab tree. Although there's no seeds in it when he cracks it open.
Question: We're only told about two males in the pride, Mufasa and Scar. Who was Nala's father? It can't be Mufasa because then she and Simba would either be siblings or half-siblings and they wouldn't have got together. And it can't be Scar because she called him by his name, not Dad, and she and Simba would still have been cousins.
Answer: Lions are not like humans, even though Disney tends to make them that way. It's rare for more than one or two full grown lions to be in a pride. Other males are in "bachelor prides" until they win a pride of their own. It's likely that Scar or Mufasa sired Nala.
Answer: It is possible that Nala is older than Simba and her mother was pregnant when a male, Mufasa, took over and she avoided getting killed. She could be the daughter of the previous male that Mufasa conquered as he opened the Pride Lands for him and his brother. Then, Simba was born a little while after Nala.
Answer: According to one website I read, it was cut because it was felt the song didn't fit James Earle Jones' singing voice. I'll also add that the song itself (which is available online) feels really redundant... it doesn't have much purpose beyond showing Simba that being a king isn't just fun and games, which is a lesson he learns anyway during the film. So I feel like it also may have been cut due to it feeling redundant in the narrative. (Although that's just my personal theory).
TedStixon